May 2001 in History

Events in History

May 3 The United States loses its seat on the U.N. Human Rights Commission for the first time since the commission was formed in 1947.
May 4 The Milwaukee Art Museum addition, the first Santiago Calatrava-designed structure in the United States, opens to the public

May 6 During a trip to Syria, Pope John Paul II becomes the first pope to enter a mosque

May 13 Silvio Berlusconi's right-wing "House of Freedoms" coalition wins the Italian general election

May 17 US President George W. Bush calls for reduced regulations to encourage more oil, gas, and nuclear production

May 18 Saudi Arabia selects the eight foreign companies to take part in its "Gas Initiative," three core venture gas projects that have an anticipated worth of $25 billion
May 21 French Taubira law officially recognizes the Atlantic slave trade and slavery as crimes against humanity.
May 21 The Enron Corporation's power generating venture in India, the Dabhol Power Company, serves formal notice that it will terminate its power supply contract and pull out
May 24 Mountain climbing: 15-year-old Sherpa Temba Tsheri becomes the youngest person to climb to the top of Mount Everest.
May 24 The Democrats gain control of the US Senate for the first time since 1994 when Senator James Jeffords of Vermont abandons the Republican Party and declares himself an independent
May 24 The Versailles wedding hall disaster in Jerusalem, Israel, kills 23 and injures over 200 in Israel's worst-ever civil disaster.
May 25 32-year-old Erik Weihenmayer, of Boulder, Colorado, becomes the first blind person to reach the summit of Mount Everest
May 29 International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers inaugurated.
May 29 Natural gas futures plunge 6% to a 10-month low on speculation that growing US inventories will help power plants meet summer demand for air-conditioning

May 17 Fourth line of succession to the Dutch throne Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands (31) weds Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands (35) in The Hague, Netherlands

May 11 English author (Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy), dies of myocardial infarction and a fatal cardiac arrhythmia at 49

May 13 Indian novelist (Malguidi Days), dies at 94

May 17 Frank G. Slaughter [C.V. Terry], American novelist and physician (Sangaree), dies at 93
May 23 Alessadro Natta, Italian political leader (Communist Party), dies at 83
May 26 Moven Enock Mahachi, Defence Minister of Zimbabwe (b. 1952)
May 28 Francisco Varela, Chilean biologist and philosopher (b. 1946)
May 28 Joe Moakley, American politician, U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts (1973-2001), dies at 74
May 28 Vulimiri Ramalingaswami, Indian medical scientist, dies at 79